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The Rice Thresher
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by Emily Venson for the thresher A new cash machine will be installed in the convenience store in the Student Center within three months. The ATM will be the second full-service Chase Manhattan Bank machine on campus. The new machine will be located near the convenience store outside access door. Its installation will cause minor changes in the layout of the convenience store, including the removal of some shelf space. Cash Operations Manager Angel Thomas said she hopes the store's selection will not be affected by the new machine. "We're going to try to keep everything already in stock," she said. Student Center Director Boyd Beckwith has been trying to get an ATM in the Student Center since he began working for Rice in 1998. Initially, he proposed moving the Fondren ATM to the Student Center. However, students did not show a clear preference to warrant such a move, and many students cited Fondren's flexible hours as a reason to keep the ATM there, Beckwith said. Beckwith then asked Chase to put a new ATM in the Student Center. At first, Chase resisted because of the expense of installation and maintenance of a new ATM, Beckwith said. Beckwith said he convinced the bank that the retail activity in the Student Center makes it an ideal location for a money machine. "It's a logical place for someone to get cash," he said. "The amount of traffic in the Student Center has doubled in the past five years. This will be wonderful for all retail options in the building." The Student Center will not receive any revenue from the ATM. "We're just doing this because we know the students want it," Beckwith said. Some students are excited about the addition. "I pass by the RMC more [than Fondren]," Hanszen College freshman Carolyn Choi said. "Besides, I hate libraries." However, some students who don't bank with Chase said they wished Rice could get an additional ATM from another bank. "This doesn't help me any," Brown College junior Matt Ludwig said. "Why can't we get a Bank of America ATM?" Rice gave Chase exclusive rights to banking on campus when they brought the ATM to Fondren. Until three years ago, there was an ATM in the Student Center. Since the machine was not owned by any bank, all users paid a small fee to withdraw money, and they didn't use it enough to offset the costs of operation, Campus Store Manager Michelle Jones said. Jones referred to the old ATM as a "money pit." "The ATM kept breaking down because it was so old," Jones said. "We lost at least $3,500 a year to operate it." The old ATM also did not take deposits, while the new Student Center machine and the current ATM in Fondren will have that capability.
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